//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - Pain Brings Family Closer // Story: Wings, a Horn and Hooves // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 7 Pain Brings Family Closer _____________________________________________________________________ Apple Bloom slowly opened her eyes. Living on a farm, she was used to waking up early, so, even though she wasn’t at the farm right now, her inner clock was set to wake up. She yawned, getting up and stretching, before freezing. Her diaper felt heavier than it had when she went to sleep. She looked at it and noticed a tiny stain of yellow. She sighed. Great. Bet the girls’ll love this. She wanted to get this thing off. She’d only worn it make Scoots feel better, but knowing she’d actually used it made her face flush. She was debating whether or not to try getting it off herself and go clean up, when something caught her eye. It was still dark. “That’s weird,” she muttered to herself. “Ah always wake up jus’ before the sun comes up. Why’s it still dark?” She got out of her sleeping bag, making sure not to wake her friends and tiphoofed over to the window and looked out. The moon was still in the sky. She frowned. “That’s not right. The sun should be up by now.” At that moment, the moon seemed to shudder. Apple Bloom paused, watching. The moon shook again, then shot down almost too fast for Apple Bloom to see it. Then, it came back up, moving across the sky in a wobbly motion, like a foal trying to stand as it takes its first steps. The sun shot into the air in an arch, only to full back down in the opposite direction, followed by the moon copying its motions, before the sun came back from where it had gone down and wobbly made its way into the sky, finally settling at the top. Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “What in Sam Hill was tha’ all about?” “You say somethin’, Apple Bloom?” a sleepy voice asked. Apple Bloom turned to see Scootaloo slowly rising, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. “Somethin’ really weird jus’ happened with the sun an’ the moon,” Apple Bloom said, walking over to her friend. “Weird?” Scootaloo replied, yawning as she rubbed her neck. “Weird how?” Apple Bloom explained the weird movements of the celestial bodies and how the sun hadn’t been up when she’d awoken which normally only happened in winter or when it was overcast. Scootaloo yawned again, stretching her body, buzzing her wings. “Sure you didn’ just imagine it?” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ah was fully awake when it happened. Ya think there might be somethin’ wrong with the princesses?” Scootaloo chuckled. “From what you said, it sounded like the sun and moon were acting drunk. Maybe Celestia and Luna just had too much cider last night.” Apple Bloom frowned at the floor. “Maybe.” Scootaloo shifted and little and sighed, sounding disappointed. “At least I was wearing one.” “You too, huh?” Apple Bloom said before she could stop herself. Scootaloo blinked, then burst out laughing, rolling on the floor. Apple Bloom pouted. “Tain’t funny, Scoots. Wha’ if mah sister found out?” Scootaloo just continued to laugh and roll on the floor. Her laughter awoke the other two fillies, who sat up, rubbing their eyes. “What’th going on?” Twist asked, yawning. “What’th tho funny?” “A-A-Apple Bloom went in her diaper!” Scootaloo managed before her laughter consumed her again. Sweetie Belle giggled, before she froze and a sheepish grin appear on her muzzle. “I think I did too.” This only made Scootaloo roar even louder, holding her sides as tears streamed down her muzzle. “O-oh! This is pri-priceless!” Twist shifted, then smiled. “Not me. I’m bone dry.” “Good thing, too,” Sweetie giggled as Scootaloo struggled to stand, still laughing her flank off. “I don’t think Scootaloo could take anymore.” _____________________________________________________________________ “Well, looks like you all had a good night’s sleep.” The fillies all turned to see Lyra and Bon-Bon standing in the living room doorway. Bon-Bon was wearing a white dressing-gown with pink edges. Both were rubbing their eyes, with looks that said they’d just been woken up. “Um, sorry we woke ya,” Apple Bloom said, looking away. Lyra smiled. “Nah. It’s okay. From the looks of the sun, we should’ve gotten up earlier anyway.” Bon-Bon wait into the kitchen and started making some coffee for herself and Lyra, while the unicorn took count of the fillies. “Now, who went last night?” she asked casually, as if they all wore diapers every night. Scootaloo put her hoof up, looking nonchalant about it, Sweetie put up her hoof, smiling sheepishly and Apple Bloom hesitantly put hers up, her face beat-red. Lyra turned to Twist. “You stayed dry, huh?” Twist nodded. “I didn’t wet mythelf onthe, auntie.” Lyra smirked. “Well, until you do, you can’t take it off.” Twist eyes went wide with horror. “What?” “Well,” Lyra pointed to the other three, “they all used theirs. Seems not right that you get left out.” “N-no way, auntie!” Twist said, shaking her head violently. “I’m not uthing my diaper!” Lyra grinned. “You’ll have to some time. Now, come on, you three. Let’s get you changed.” The three fillies followed Lyra, leaving a stunned Twist behind. When they were down the hall, Twist went into the kitchen to see her sister sipping her coffee, looking a little more awake than she had moments ago. “Thith...” she began in a whiny tone. “Nope,” Bon-Bon replied, a smirk on her face. “But, thith...” Twist tried again, pawing at the ground. “You agreed to this last night to make Scootaloo feel better, Twisty,” she said, giving a small smile. “You don’t wanna be the kind of aunt who goes back on her word, do you?” “... No,” Twist said, looking away. Bon-Bon smiled. “Don’t worry. All you need is to go before you head off for school. That’s bound to happen.” Twist frowned at her big sister. “Why do you thay that?” Bon-Bon gave a sly smile. “When I was still living with you and mom and dad, you never left the house without going.” Twist pouted. “Not funny, thith. Not funny.” _____________________________________________________________________ The girls walked into the kitchen a few seconds later, all undiapered and clean. Scootaloo wondered why Twist was still wearing her diaper and why she seemed so annoyed, shooting Bon-Bon glares every few seconds. She decided to leave it. If Twist wanted to tell them, she would. “Alright, girls,” Lyra said, her horn glowing, several different types of breakfast stuffs coming out of the shelves and cupboards. “What do you want for breakfast?” “Have you guys tried the chocolate chip pancakes from the store?” Scootaloo asked, turning to her friends. They all shook their heads. “Rarity says they’ve too much sugar,” Sweetie Belle said. Bon-Bon scoffed, muttering, “Do I ever tell her some of her designs are too out there? No.” Sweetie looked confused as to why Bon-Bon was annoyed, but said nothing. “Applejack says they’re too expensive,” Apple Bloom said, her shoulders slumping a little. “She says homemade are better and healthier anyway. Ah’ve always wanted to try them though.” Scootaloo grinned. “Well, then you’re all in luck. Mom, can we have some chocolate chip pancakes?” Lyra glanced at Bon-Bon, who nodded. Scootaloo grinned. “My mom makes the chocolate chips that go into them.” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom gasped, turning to Bon-Bon. “Really?” they asked in unison. Bon-Bon nodded. Several minutes later, three pancakes were placed in front of each filly. Scootaloo thanked her mothers and dug it, slowly, then quickly followed by her friends. Lyra smiled at Bon-Bon, who told her she’d clean the dishes, but Lyra had to make sure the girls were ready for school and take them. She nodded. Just as Lyra and Bon-Bon were about to start on their own pancakes, there was a loud and rather frantic knocking on the front door. Lyra got up and went to answer it. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Applejack gasping for breath, her mane a little bit dishevelled. “Applejack?” Lyra asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you here about last night? I thought my letter explained enough. It wasn’t exactly like we could send her back to the farm in that weather.” Applejack shook her head. “Tha’ ain’ why Ah’m here, Lyra. Ah need you ta keep my sister and her friends inside.” Lyra blinked, then frowned. “I don’t understand. Doesn’t she have school today?” The blonde maned mare shook her head. “Not t’day. Everypony’s gotta stay inside.” Lyra felt a sense of dread go down her spine. “Why?” Applejack shook her head. “Don’ ask. An’ don’ tell the girls neither. Jus’ keep ’em inside. We’ll handle this.” With that, she ran off down the road, leaving a very perplexed Lyra standing in the doorway. She closed the door, slowly making her way back through the living room. Lyra knew Applejack wasn’t a liar. Yes, there was the instance not too long ago with the Flim Flam brothers, but that didn’t mean she was a liar. If she said there was a reason she had to keep the girls all inside, then she’d trust the farm mare. “Who was it?” Bon-Bon asked as Lyra sat back down at the table. “Applejack,” Lyra said, turning to the girls and noticed Apple Bloom was going to ask why her sister had come. “Girls, there won’t be any school today.” The four fillies all grinned at each other, their eyes shining. “However,” Lyra said, getting their attention, “we’ve all got to remain inside.” At once, the fillies’ faces fell, followed by a simultaneous, “Aww.” They all started complaining, asking why they couldn’t just go outside. Lyra smiled slyly. “So, are you saying you explored everything in the basement? Are you saying there’s nothing left down there you haven’t seen?” The fillies all glanced at each other, thought for a minute, then turned back to Lyra. “Okay,” they nodded. Lyra’s smile became warm. “Good. Finish breakfast and you can all go exploring some more.” That’ll hopefully keep them all occupied until whatever Applejack was worried about blows over, she thought to herself. The girls quickly finished their breakfast and headed back for the basement, exploring their only intent. Once the girls were gone, Bon-Bon turned to Lyra. “What’s going on, Lyra?” Lyra shook her head. “I don’t know, Bonny. Applejack just told me we need to keep the girls inside.” Bon-Bon frowned. “How come?” Lyra shook her head. “She didn’t say. She just told me we need to keep them inside and not let them go out. Frankly, I don’t need her to me to know we should trust her.” “Even after that Flim Flam thing?” Bon-Bon asked sceptically. Lyra frowned. “You’re still holding that against her? Seriously, Bonny, it was the first time she’s ever lied and promised she’d never do it again. Isn’t that enough for you? Plus, she’s trusting us with her little sister’s protection. Doesn’t that seem worth overlooking one lie?” Bon-Bon looked away. “I hate it when you’re right.” Lyra chuckled, wrapping a foreleg around Bon-Bon’s neck. “I could say the same about you.” That earned her a hard nudge in the stomach. _____________________________________________________________________ Lyra smiled as the girls fawned over hers and Lyra’s foal pictures. She had to admit, she’d forgotten just how cute Bonny looked as a foal. There was even a picture from when they were fillies and at one of Pinkie Pie’s first parties, the very one that had made that other pony, Cheese Sandwich decide to be a party pony too. Suddenly, the ground shook. They all looked around, confused. “Wha’ was tha’?” Apple Bloom asked, frowning. “I don’t know,” Lyra said, glancing at Bon-Bon. “But you girls don’t have to worry. We won’t let anything happen to you.” She’d sensed something magical in the air. Something dark. Something... wrong. At that moment, the roof glowed with an orange magical aura that felt the same as what she was sensing. The roof came up and Lyra’s eyes went wide with horror. Standing taller than their building was a large, heavily muscled, red-skinned centaur. “We have to get out of here!” she cried, her horn glowing and they all teleported out of the house, reappearing a few metres away from their building. “Applejack!” “Rarity!” Lyra whirled around and her eyes went wide again, her body going cold. Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were all in some kind of metal cage and Discord was laying on the ground next to them, his body wrap in the same aura that had lifted their roof. But the reason Lyra’s body had gone cold was because she’d seen their flanks. Their Cutie Marks were gone. Just, gone! And their eyes. Their eyes had a slight blankness to them, as if something had been taken from them. Lyra turned to the centaur, her body shaking, her eyes narrowed. She knew just who that centaur was and why five of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony no longer had their Cutie Marks. “Tirek,” she snarled. She’d read about his story when she was in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, shortly before moving permanently to Ponyville. After what Twilight had learned about the Tale of Nightmare Moon being based on true events, she’d looked up other such tales and found the Tale of Lord Tirek. He’d come to Equestria shortly before Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon, and had been intent on stealing all the magic in Equestria. “New some of those other tales had to be true,” she muttered, then turned to Bon-Bon. “Bonny, get the girls out of here, now!” she shouted, running towards Tirek. “Lyra?!” Bon-Bon cried, her eyes wide. “What’re you doing?” “I’ll hold him off!” she shouted, teleporting behind Tirek and blasting him with a blinding spell. “I’ll buy you as much time as I can, now go!” “But, Lyra—” Bon-Bon began. “GO!” Lyra shouted, teleporting again, this time in front of Tirek, who’d just turned to grab at Lyra. “NOW!” Bon-Bon looked like she wanted to argue, but agreed, tears in her eyes and hurried the girls away. Lyra turned to Tirek, her eyes narrowed. He smirked. “Trying to protect your fellow ponies?” He frowned. “A wasted effort.” Lyra charged the most powerful offensive spell she knew and fired it. Tirek merely caught it as a small sphere in between his fingers, popped it into his mouth, chewed for and second and swallowed. Lyra’s eyes went wide. “That the best you can do?” Lyra was surrounded the orange aura and lifted into the air. “Still, even small amounts of magic are magic that belong to me.” Lyra screamed as she suddenly felt like her very soul was being ripped from her body, her eyes wide as she watched her magic flowing from her horn and into Tirek’s mouth. After a few seconds, she was released from the orange aura and fell to the ground, her body too weak to move. She felt empty, as if a piece of her very being had been taken. “Now, for those others,” Tirek’s voice said above her as her vision became clouded. Tears slid down her muzzle as she heard the sound of Bon-Bon and the girls crying out in fear. I’m sorry, she thought as she fell from consciousness. I failed you all. _____________________________________________________________________ Lyra could feel a cloth on her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the light from the sun. Bon-Bon and the girls were looking down at her, worry in the faces. “How long was I out?” she asked, her voice feeling hoarse. Bon-Bon sighed. “About an hour.” Something she noticed was their eyes looked like the mane six’s had. Tirek had taken their magic, just as he had hers. And Bon-Bon’s flank. Her Cutie Mark was gone. “I’m sorry,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “Don’t be,” Bon-Bon said, taking the cloth off, rinsing it, putting it in a bowl of water, then put it back on Lyra’s forehead. Lyra shook her head. “If I’d only been stronger, I could’ve stopped him and none of you would’ve had your magic stolen.” “You’re wrong, Mom,” Scootaloo hugged Lyra closely. “He took everypony’s magic. We weren’t the only ones. While you were out, that Tirek guy stole the magic from everypony in Ponyville, unicorn, pegasi and earth pony alike.” “So, nopony has magic anymore?” Lyra asked, her gut twisting. Without magic of any kind, how could they all care for Equestria? How would they all survive? At that moment there was a loud explosion. They all looked up to see a strange rainbow light flying across the sky. “What?” Lyra asked, squinting. The light came over across the town, bathing it in its rainbow light. Lyra felt a warmth wash over her, restoring her strength. She gasped as she felt her horn light up with its magical aura. She glanced at Bon-Bon and the girls and gasped. Their eyes were back to normal and Bon-Bon’s Cutie Mark was back. Lyra glanced at her own flank and saw her Cutie Mark. Had hers been gone when her magic had been taken too? They all embraced in a huge hug. They’re magic was back! It was back! Suddenly the ground started shaking. “Oh no!” Scootaloo cried, looking around. “Is that Tirek guy back?!” There was a large rainbow light from the direction of Princess Twilight’s library. As they all watched, a large, crystal, castle-like tree grew out from the ground, the symbol of the Element of Magic adorning the top. “What...? What just happened?” Sweetie Belle asked, her mouth agape. “I’m not sure,” Lyra shook her head, brow furrowed. “Let’s go find out.” They all headed off towards the direction they’d seen the light, all wondering what had happened after Tirek left Ponyville, having taken all their magic, yet it had somehow been returned, followed by the emergence of the strange tree castle. Lyra didn’t know what was going on, but she knew one thing. Her family were safe and for that, she was thanful.